5. Gabriella

I look at my vibrating phone Lola was calling. This had been the seventh time for the last 15 minutes that someone was calling. Didn't they understand? That I don't want to talk to anyone. My phone vibrated again. Now it was Troy again. First Troy called, then Dani called, then Bonnie, Kyle, Dani again, Jeremy, Lola and now Troy.

It's funny how a rumor spreads. Guess Troy was the first to know, and then the rest figured out soon after. Good news spread fast, bad news spread even faster. The whole school probably knew by now, thanks to Troy. God I hate him right now. My sister's stupid friend, I hope I never get to see him again.

It knocks on my door, but I don't answer. Instead I close my eyes and pretend I'm asleep. The door slowly open and I hear footsteps coming towards me. I know who it is. But I don't want to face her; I don't want to scare her, because of how I look right now. My eyes are red and puffy, my mascara is everywhere and new tears keep falling from my eyes.

"You are not supposed to be home." She says.

"I know." I say between tears.

"Then why are you hear?" She asks.

"No reason. Izzy just leave me alone." I tell her.

"If you don't tell me. I'm telling daddy."

I look at her. Knowing she will if I don't speak up. "I'm just not feeling that well."

She gives me a scared look when she looks at me. "What happened?"

"Just teenage problems sweetie, you don't have to worry."

"You mean PMS?" she asks confused.

"Yes." I nod and fake a smile that's it.

"I didn't think it was coming out of your eyes? And that isn't blood." she looks at me confused.

"Well it comes in different ways." I try to explain her, hoping she is buying it. I love that she isn't older than 8 and that she'll believe anything. But then it hit me; this is exactly why I'm sad. Because people believe the things they hear, without thinking twice about it, just like Izzy does. The whole school thinks I'm a whore because someone told them. Just like Izzy thinks the things I just said are true, because I told her. I'm just as bad as they are. "No that's not exactly true." I tell her.

She gives me a confused look.

"It's not because I'm PMS. I'm not. And it's not like tears come out of your eyes when you are. Well when you are PMS it can make you moody and therefore you get more emotional which means small things can make you cry, but that's not the reason I'm crying. And you're right, after you've been PMS you get your period which is blood and that doesn't come out of your eyes. But you don't have to worry about that now. The reason why I'm crying is because someone at school said something bad about me, and now the whole school things I'm a bad person."

"Who would say that?" She asks me.

"No one you know." I lie. I don't want her to know it was Troy.

"But you going to be okay?" She asks me with a concerned voice.

I nod. "Yes sweetie."

I see Troy enter my room and I look away. Izzy though run right over to him, and I assume she gives him a hug. "Hi sweetie, can I talk to your sister for a while?"

"Sure." Izzy says and one of them closes the door.

"Gabby you need to listen."

"No! I don't."

"Yes. I didn't tell a soul. Not even Dani when she asked me."

"I don't want to talk to you Troy!"

"Then just listen! Riley is the one who told everyone, not me. I don't even know what happened."

"What do you think happened?" I ask and turn around to face him.

He shrugs. "I don't know."

I look away. "I feel so embarrassed."

"Why?" He sits down next to me and places a hand on my shoulder. But it just makes me even more uncomfortable. I'm not feeling well. I feel ashamed, embarrassed, sad, vulnerable, small. I'm completely out of it. My whole body is trembling.

I get on my feet and take a few steps, before I turn around and look at him again. "I'm so stupid and naïve. He tricked me!"

"What do you mean?"

"He wanted me to make his essay. He offered me money and stupid enough I said yes. I was going to give it to him, but he said we had to meet in the boy's room. I didn't think more of it, so I just did as he said. As I went in there he grabbed me, and pushed me in to one of the stalls, he pulled up my skirt and grabbed my thigh." I felt tears coming down my cheeks.

He walks closer to me, but I feel so ashamed of myself, that I don't want him to touch me. He's about to speak when I cut him off and continue speaking. "I told him not to do it, but he slapped me. And told me how naïve I was for thinking he wanted an essay from me."

I could see Troy was in shock. "He didn't do anything else to you did he?"

"No. Because then I heard the door to the boys room open. So I wiped away my tears and walked out of the stall, he didn't try to stop me, and then I ran in to you."

"I'm so sorry Brie."

I sniff and more tears run down my face. I rethink the whole thing, and how scared I felt at that moment. "I'm sorry Troy."

He wraps his arms around me and this time I don't stop him. "I'm sorry. I thought you did it, and I wasn't thinking, I didn't see clear, and I was sad and mad and all these feelings came to me at once and I didn't know what to think of it all."

"Sshh." He said and rubbed my back. "It's okay Brie, I understand."

"I feel so stupid!"

"Don't. You didn't do anything wrong. He did. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

I cried even harder. It was like nothing he said made me feel better. My body was trembling.

"Brie relax. It's okay."

And then it happens I pass out in his arms. The next thing I know I'm lying on my bed under the covers and Troy is touching my forehead. "How did I end here?" I ask confused.

"You passed out and I carried you to your bed."

I look away embarrassed by the thought of just passing out and then him carrying me. "Oh god. This is definitely not my day."

"You okay?" He asks me with a concerned voice. "You are kind of hot."

"What?" I ask confused and then I understand what he means. "Yes I'm fine, just think I need to sleep it off."

"So you want me to leave?"

"I think I'm going to survive without you here, but it's nice to have company." I tell him and then what I told him earlier hits me. 'I'm a virgin.' I told him those words. Now I felt even more embarrassed but I tried not to show it. "School is going to be hell tomorrow."

"Well maybe it'll help when you see Riley with two black eyes."

"What?" I ask confused.

"Both me and Dani punched him." He says with a grin on his face and I can't help it but smile.